Moving house in Melbourne
14 April 1959
As she was no longer employed by Melbourne University, Mary had been dossing down at her friend Minette’s flat during the brief periods she was in Melbourne but eventually decided she needed somewhere slightly more permanent and private to live.
Tuesday 14 April 1959
With a doctor’s receptionist, Patricia Rose, Englishwoman about my own age, here 11 years and wanting to go to Antarctica. A nice modern bedsitter with desk, armchair, bookcase, heater, divan bed, chair, table and plenty of storage space, and use of kitchen and bathroom ...
When I said I would live out of tins she [Patricia] said “Oh, don’t do that. You buy the food and I’ll cook it. I love cooking for people” then “I work in a shopping centre. I can do your shopping for you.” I said “No, no, no” but probably shan’t take much wearing down. £4 10 a week and food and 15/- a week tram fare if I go to work 5 days a week. A pleasant clean, green district, however, near the shrine and botanic gardens, with herbarium.
Mr Brown and Peter moved me to my new digs in South Yarra in the Botany truck, picking up my trunks from the Agri school and my lesser luggage from Park Street. This was in the morning. The rest of the day I spent shopping for food, lunching out and unpacking.
Mary's captions to the photo are as follows:
Above: Domain Street, south Yarra, Melbourne. My flat among trees (right)
Right: Next block of flats to mine. Jewish temple, Melbourne [in the background]
Immediately below: Entrance to my flat, South Yarra, Melbourne
Bottom: Window of my south Yarra flat. Arch to [clothes] drying ground.
